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Cited by 76Social Media in Health EducationDigital Marketing and Social MediaOrthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

The effects of images posted to social media by orthodontists on public perception of professional credibility and willingness to become a client

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Meira, Thiago Martins, Prestes, Jeany, Gasparello, Gil Guilherme, Antelo, Oscar Mario, Pithon, Matheus Melo, Tanaka, Orlando Motohiro·2021·Progress in Orthodontics
DOI 10.1186/s40510-021-00353-9PMC PMC7937582
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Abstract

Background: Many patients choose health professionals using the Internet, whether through websites or social media. In orthodontics, an orthodontist’s relationship with active and potential patients can be affected by social media interactions, both as a marketing tool and as a tool for providing educational information. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the public perception of professional credibility and willingness to become a client, based on images posted by orthodontists on Instagram. Method: This was a cross-sectional study performed using a digital self-administered questionnaire based on images from public Instagram profiles of orthodontists found using certain hashtags. The themes of the posts were analyzed through a qualitative analysis, and the results were expressed as categories. After analyzing 2445 images, 12 thematic categories emerged. A total of 446 individuals (225 laypeople, 66 dental students, and 155 dentists) evaluated the images in regard to the perception of professional credibility and willingness to become a client. One-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were applied, considering a 5% significance level. Results: It was found that more than 95% of the participants used social media, primarily Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, and the social network most used to research health services was Instagram. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean value of perceived professional credibility between the groups (p < 0.05) for the following categories: “dental traction,” “mini-implant mechanics,” “before and after treatment,” “aesthetic brackets,” “metallic brackets,” and “clear aligners.” The categories “being a teacher” and “before and after treatment” had a higher impact on the participants’ perception of credibility and willingness to become a client, unlike the “social relationship” and “family relationship” categories. Conclusions: Some of the themes found in the orthodontists’ social media posts were found to influence the perceptions around professional credibility and willingness to become a client, although there were differences among the participants in the present study.

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  • Meira et al's study found that images related to social and family relationships were associated with lower scores regarding the perception of professional credibility for all groups of laypeople, dental students, and dentists.

    “Another recent study by Meira et al [164] investigating professionalism perception of orthodontist through exposure of laypeople, dental students, and dentists to images usually found on Instagram found that images related to social and family relationships were associated with lower scores regarding the perception of professional credibility for all groups [164].”

    From Dangers and Benefits of Social Media on E-Professionalism of Health Care Professionals: Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [164]

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Authors
Meira, T. M., Prestes, J., Gasparello, G. G., Antelo, O. M., Pithon, M. M., & Tanaka, O. M.
Affiliations
  • Universidade do Estado da Bahia (BR)
  • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (BR)
  • Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo (BO)
  • Southwest Bahia State University (BR)
Corresponding author
Tanaka, Orlando Motohiro
ORCID
Venue
Progress in Orthodontics
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-03-08
Volume
22
Issue
1
Pages
7-7
ISSN
  • 1723-7785 (ISSN-L)
  • 2196-1042
DOI
10.1186/s40510-021-00353-9
PMC
PMC7937582
OpenAlex
W3133633967
Cited by
74
References
22
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7
FWCI
6.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Progress in Orthodontics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Orthodontics › Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Keywords
orthodontists, social media, Instagram, professional credibility, dental students, patient perspectives, clear aligners, mini-implants
MeSH terms
Orthodontists, Cross-Sectional Studies, Esthetics, Dental, Humans, Public Opinion, Social Media

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